


Trust but Verify

by themagnificentquack



Category: Arrow (TV 2012)
Genre: Cops AU, F/F, dinahsirenweek
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-29
Updated: 2020-05-29
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:08:11
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 4
Words: 2,837
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24339391
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/themagnificentquack/pseuds/themagnificentquack
Summary: Felicity and Dinah are partners in the police force and Laurel is Felicity's CI (confidential informant) giving them info on Diaz
Relationships: Dinah Drake/Earth-2 Laurel Lance, Earth-2 Laurel Lance & Felicity Smoak
Comments: 2
Kudos: 31





	1. Chapter 1

Laurel slipped through the doors quietly, gun drawn. She was almost certain that Diaz trusted her, and she'd driven for almost an hour to throw off any potential tails. However, there was always the off chance that this would be the time she got caught. The thought alone was enough to send shivers down her spine. 

The location Felicity selected for their meet didn't help either.The sound of her footsteps echoed in the high ceiling-ed room, betraying her presence. Jesus stared down at her from the cross with an accusatory look on his face. All of the death and suffering she'd caused felt like a physical presence, filtering in through the colored glass and pressing down on her, suffocating her. 

She didn't even believe in Christianity, or religious guilt, or any of that bs. She stopped reading the bible when it started telling her who to love. 

Everything about the church reminded her of Sundays growing up. 

Her father would try to hide the stench of alcohol on his breath while her mother would force her into a dress that felt wrong in every way, like it didn't belong on her body, like she didn't belong. And all the while her mother would talk about Sara, and how perfect she was in her dress, and did you know she has a boyfriend now? 

Laurel pushed away her discomfort. She was Black Siren. She'd destroyed buildings with the sound of her voice alone. She wouldn't let a church rattle her. 

She crossed to the bench Felicity detailed in the note she left and sat down. Sitting anywhere else would signal Felicity that it was a trap. 

Seconds after she sat down, Laurel heard footsteps coming down the aisle behind her. 

She turned, expecting to see Felicity but instead finding a gorgeous brunette in a white t-shirt and jeans. The detective badge around her neck was clear as day, but Laurel pulled her gun anyway. Diaz had most of the police force in his pocket. She didn't trust anyone but Felicity. 

The detective put her hands up, holding a brown paper bag in one of them.

"I'm Detective Smoak's partner," she said. Laurel didn't trust her, but she couldn't help but notice that her voice was smooth and warm. It reminded her the expensive drink she kept in her cabinet for special occasions. She hadn't opened it yet. 

"This is from her," the woman added, wiggling the paper bag. "Milkshake and fries."

Laurel smiled a little, but tried not to show it and put down her gun, clicking the safety on before tucking it into the waistband of her jeans. 

"I'm Laurel," she said, extending her hand. 

The other woman reached out and shook it. "Dinah," she replied, before handing Laurel her food. 

Laurel sat down on the nearest bench, expecting to debrief Felicity's partner on Diaz, but Dinah stayed standing. 

"I just have a few quick questions before I can trust you," Dinah said. "Felicity is good at her job, but she had a soft spot for your doppelgänger and-" 

"It's chill, I get it," Laurel interrupted. "Ask away," she said with a flourish, putting her feet up on the bench in front of her. 

Dinah pulled out a little notepad (because of course she had a notepad) and cleared her throat. 

"Why did you choose to turn on Diaz?" she asked, all business. 

Laurel frowned a little, thinking. "I wasn't going to," she admitted. "No offense, but you guys are corrupt as hell. I wasn't going to risk my life on the off chance that the cop I told happened to be clean." 

Dinah inclined her head in agreement. Sometimes she felt like Diaz had the whole damn city in is pocket with the number of obstacles she and Felicity faced trying to build a case against him. 

"Felicity came to me after a particularly gruesome day. She just walked right up to me while I was on my way home. I don't know I just trusted her right away. Something about those eyes. I figured if she wasn't good no one was."

Dinah took a seat next to Laurel, seemingly deciding to trust her. She scrunched up her face in disgust as Laurel dipped a fry into her milkshake before popping it into her mouth.

"You said it was a particularly gruesome day..." she said in a questioning tone of voice. 

Laurel grimaced a little. "Yeah... he burned a man alive," she said. The memory soured the delicious taste of her fries and she put them back in the bag carefully. The smell alone was starting to make her feel sick. 

"I'm sorry you had to experience that," Dinah murmured, placing her hand gently on Laurel's. The collection of rings they both wore clinked together quietly. 

Laurel swallowed audibly. She tried to stay still, her entire body tense with the effort. "Thanks," she said quietly. Dinah retracted her hand slowly, and Laurel let out a breath, not aware that she'd been holding it. 

"So, Diaz," she said, trying to move on from the confusing mix of feelings brought on by Dinah's comforting gesture.

"He's going after the docks," she said. 

She hid her smile as Dinah pulled out her dorky notepad and started scribbling.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> shit goes down at the docks

When Diaz and his men came to take control of the docks, the cops were waiting. It was a small force, as there were only so many people who could be trusted. 

Dinah argued against going to the docks. It was too big of a risk. Besides, she still wasn't positive that Laurel was trustworthy. 

When she brought up her concerns, Felicity said, "Really? I assumed the meeting went well. Last time I saw Laurel she seemed to trust you. She actually told me she thought you were cute," she said with a grin. 

Dinah's face heated up. She wasn't cute! She was a detective of the SCPD. And okay, she had to admit the thought of Laurel brought butterflies to her stomach. But that didn't mean she was cute.

"I do like her," Dinah admitted. "I just don't trust her."

They ended up going anyway.

\--------

Laurel managed to get a position as sniper for the attack on the docks. Most of Diaz's army was made up of local thugs and mercenaries. Meaning, they didn't know much beyond hand to hand combat and standard issue handguns. And true, Laurel wasn't great with a rifle, but at least she managed to hit her targets. 

The truth was, Laurel was tired of hurting people. She'd had to attack three people since she met with Dinah a week or so ago. One of them would need hearing aids for the rest of his life. 

Laurel figured if she got out of the direct line of fire, no one would notice that all of her shots missed. 

Her solution wouldn't last long, but hopefully it wouldn't need too. If Felicity and Dinah got Diaz, she wouldn't have to hurt anybody ever again. 

\---------

The night arrived and Laurel rode with several mercenaries to the docks. None of them took her seriously. The man sitting next to her looked at her like she was a piece of meat. He decided it would be a good idea to rest his hand on her thigh so, naturally, she broke his wrist. 

They left her alone after that. 

She separated from the rest of the group when they arrived, and walked up several floors to the top of a building that was abandoned mid-construction. 

She set up her rifle and checked out the field, noting the locations of the key players. Her spot was fairly close to the docks, and she could pick out Dinah and Felicity hiding among some cargo through the scope of her gun. 

She decided not to bother Ricardo with the information.

Diaz started calling out orders but before his men could spread out and takeover, Dinah and Felicity came out of hiding with their weapons raised, flanked by a small group of cops. 

They'd only expected a small group of guards so Diaz's group was small and unprepared for a fair fight. A few of them started to surrender, unwilling to die just to advance Diaz's rule. 

This was the tipping point. The moment when it all hung in the balance. Either the rest of Diaz's army would surrender, or they would fight back resulting in heavy casualties on both sides. 

Those who had already surrendered threw their guns to the side and moved towards the cops. Felicity holstered her weapon to begin disposing of their guns and cuffing them. Dinah kept her weapon trained on Diaz, backed by the few men who weren't helping Felicity. 

Laurel studied their movements with a critical eye. By concentrating most of their force on cuffing those who had already surrendered, they made it so that if Dinah was taken out, Diaz's men would once again hod the advantage. It was clear that most of the group were rookies who hadn't been on the force long enough to be forced onto Diaz's side through bribery or blackmail. 

Diaz seemed to notice as well. He turned towards Laurel and inclined his head in Dinah's direction. It was clear what he was trying to say. He was telling her to shoot Dinah. 

She hadn't expected to be called to act during this fight. She saw Diaz's jaw tense through the scope of her rifle and for a second she considered shooting Dinah. It was the easy choice, the path of least resistance. Nothing would change.

Her conscience objected immediately and her mind was milled with reminders of her sole interaction with Dinah. Her quiet smile and her calloused hands and the way her piercing gaze made Laurel's heart flutter. Dinah was good, simple as that. Laurel wouldn't kill her. 

She could shoot Diaz, get payback for all the orders and the manipulation. But then his men would get spooked and start shooting, and lives would be lost. 

Laurel put her rifle down and walked away.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> they capture diaz this chapter is just them like chilling at the docks for a sec
> 
> warning: there's a lil bit of violence

Laurel arrived at ground level just as Dinah and Felicity were loading up the rest of Diaz's hired army to be processed at the precinct. Diaz was being processed on sight so he could be taken straight to Iron Heights while he awaited trial. 

He spit at Laurel as she passed, mouthing filthy insults at her. She flinched but walked by without looking at him, making eye contact with Dinah who nodded at her with a twinkle in her eye. Laurel winked back, a small grin on her face. 

Felicity interrupted by coming up to her with a high five and an obnoxious grin on her face. It was incredibly clear that she wanted to hug Laurel, but she refrained, knowing how uncomfortable it made the other woman. 

Dinah came up to them, looking guilty, but Laurel stopped her before she could say anything. "Don't worry," Laurel said. "I know how this works." She held her hands out in front of her with a grin. "Arrest me, officer." 

Dinah rolled her eyes, hiding her answering grin. They both knew there would be no need for handcuffs. Laurel would be brought in, but she would be released once she testified. She would be free. 

The slightest of noises behind them alerted Laurel and she turned in time to see the officer handling Diaz fall to the ground, out cold. 

Laurel didn't hesitate. In a way, she'd been waiting to for this since she decided not to shoot him. The part of her that was a killer, the part of her that she hated, whispered in her ear with a hunger for blood, for vengeance. She wanted to kill Diaz so badly. She just needed an excuse. 

Laurel let out a ear-splitting cry that sent Diaz flying backwards before landing on his back with a sickening thud. 

\--------

The rest of the night was a blur. Diaz survived, but he was brought to the hospital with several broken bones. 

Dinah and Felicity fought it, but Laurel was taken in for assault. 

The court decided that her setence would be reduced thanks to her testimony against Diaz, but she would still face a few months in prison. The same prison as Diaz. She wouldn't last a day.


	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Diaz's trial and the stuff that follows it

Laurel walked into the courtroom for Diaz's trial. She wore a full suit, but the effect was marred slightly by the handcuffs around her wrists. 

She nodded at her favorite police officers as she passed and Felicity offered a weak smile. 

Diaz made eye contact with her as she took her place at the stand, and it was the moment from the docks all over again. Forced once again to choose between what was right and her life, she chose the same way as before, and the same way she would continue to choose was the rest of her (probably very short) life. 

She told her story and Dinah's green eyes held hers, keeping her steady as she gave her life away. 

She wondered idly how Diaz would kill her. Maybe with a knife, smuggled in or homemade. Maybe he would kill her with his bare hands. Her thoughts grew darker and more gruesome until she forced them away, finding safe haven in memories of Diaz and Felicity overlaid with the taste of a milkshake a fries. 

Dinah rushed out of the courtroom as Laurel was loaded into prison transport. Her face burned into Laurel's mind as the doors swung closed and she tried to hold onto it for as long as possible. 

About 40 minutes into her ride, there was a crash. Laurel sat up from her slumped position. She hadn't expected to die before she even got to prison. She wasn't ready yet. She took a deep breath in. She wondered what it would be like- dying. She didn't believe in hell or anything like that, but she allowed herself to hope for something. She didn't want this to be the end. 

The doors flew open and a figure with a ski mask on swung up into the truck. Laurel tensed her body in anticipation. 

The stranger pulled off their mask and their hair swung free. Green eyes glinted down at Laurel.

"Hey," Dinah said. 

\----------------

Dinah walked into the SCPD the next morning with an unusual bounce in her step. 

Felicity came up to her the second she got to her desk. 

"So, Laurel escaped," Felicity said. 

Dinah grinned, making no attempt to feign surprise. 

"Is that so?" she said with a mock gasp. 

Felicity got closer to her, lowering her voice so no one could hear them.

"If I bring backup to your apartment, will Laurel be there?" she asked. 

Dinah hesitated for a moment, but when she looked into Felicity's eyes she knew the other woman was joking, so she just grinned in response. 

Felicity shook her head, but smiled back. 

"If you guys decide to run away together wait for me. I can't handle all this testosterone without you," she said with a sigh, sitting back down to work on yet another pile of paperwork created by Diaz's imprisonment. 

\--------

Dinah was never excited to go home at night. She liked her job, she lived for it. Going home just ,meant coming back to an empty apartment and distracting herself until she was able to find escape in sleep. She hated going home. But today she was excited. 

She brought Laurel back to her place after her successful felony, setting her up on the couch. 

What she really wanted to do was take Laurel to bed with her, but that felt like a lot considering they didn't really know each other. 

\--------

Laurel must've heard her coming, because she was there in the entryway waiting for her. There was a searching expression on her face that Dinah couldn't quite identify. Her gaze looked like carefully guarded suspicious confusion, but underneath Dinah could just barely make out a hint of hope, of vulnerability. 

"What's up?" she asked curiously, dropping her backpack and keys by the door to sit with Laurel on the couch. 

"I need to know why you risked everything to save me," Laurel said. 

Dinah smiled, relieved. 

"I'll admit a little bit of it was because I'm kind of into to you. But mostly... it was the right thing to do. I wasn't going to let you die."

A small smile appeared on Laurel's face, like she'd been hoping for Dinah to say just that. 

"Thanks," she said quietly. 

Then she leaned forward, and Dinah's heart beat out of her chest. 

"In case you hadn't guessed, I'm kind of into you too," Laurel whispered, her breath ghosting against Dinah's lips. 

Dinah wasn't sure who closed the distance, but all of a sudden they were kissing. The world closed in until she and Laurel were the only things that mattered, the only thing that existed. 

And as Dinah allowed herself to be led into the bedroom, she could only think of one thing: God was she happy to be home.


End file.
